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Team Lucky Craft: G Man Monkey Gone, Classic Here

Bucks Skeeter Yamaha

LuckyCraftBlogIt’s kind of weird that winning the event is more of a feeling of relief than the excitement about winning. You always think you have the potential to win, but Florida has been tough for me.

It’s taken a while for it to soak in but, I’ve gotten that monkey off of my back and now I am qualified for next year’s Classic. That means I won’t be worrying about points and I can go out and practice to win. Practicing to win is different than practicing to get a check or forpoints to qualify for the classic. Typically fishing and practicing to win can be extremely nerve racking because you don’t catch a lot of fish. When the fishing gets tough I won’t need to run to the bank and catch a limit just so I can get points to make the classic.

The winning combos were a LVR D7 and an LVR D10 in Aurora Gold both fished on the new Quantum Smoke 6.3 to 1 reels and a 7-foot Medium Quantum PT Cranking rod (same as KVD’s red one’s only this one is black). My line was Vicious Pro Elite 12-pound test which is equivalent to the diameter of most 10-pound Fluorocarbon line. I fished this rig very slow. It was more of a dragging action than it was a ripping action.

For the Carolina Rig I was using a Trokar EWG 3/0 hook with a Zoom trick worm in Junebug color on a Quantum Smoke 6.3 to 1 reel and a Quantum PT Superlight 7-foot Medium rod. For the weight I had the new Eagle Claw tungsten weight with the sleeve. The sleeve keeps the weight from damaging the line and I like it. I fished this combo on 14-pound Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon. Like the LVR’s I fished the Carolina Rig very slow as well.

Going into the final day I had a 3.5-pound lead. In Florida a 3.5-pound lead isn’t much, especially when you have one of the Lane boys right on your tail. You know they have the ability to catch a huge sack anytime and I knew I was going to have to get it done. I told myself if I just do my job they are going to have to really catch them to take the win away from me.

Then we launched arrived at one of the spots. My Co-Angler for the day proceeded to catch a 9-pound bass on his second cast. Then on his fifth cast he caught another 9-pound bass. That’s a tough thing to overcome mentally, but I told myself if I can win despite my co-angler catching two 9’s then I can win anytime. I just told myself the big fish are here and I am going to catch ‘em and then we can laugh about the two 9-pounders after the tournament. I never got a 9-pounder on the final day, my biggest was a 6-pounder, but I had enough for the win.

On a totally different subject, I am super excited about my new Toyota Tundra Crew Cab that was delivered to me here in Warrior, Alabama yesterday. My roommate on tour Britt Meyers and his shop CS Motorsports in Gastonia, North Carolina lifted in 6-inches and put some new ATX (by Wheel Pro) wheels on it, all flat black. I finally get to drive a Tundra all jacked up. I’ve got to show those California boys like Skeet and Ish how a truck is supposed to be built. One thing is for sure, this year “red-neck” is coming to town!